Expert systems are available today for almost every subject matter to aid individuals in their decision making process. These systems pose a number of questions to a willing individual, and provide some means for the individual to respond to the questions on an interactive basis, typically utilizing a CRT. The system, based on the answers to the questions, then recommends some solution or course of action to be undertaken.
Prior art expert systems have met with little or no success for a number of reasons, perhaps the greatest of which has been individual reluctance to utilize these systems. Many complex systems require an operator attending the system at all times. If unattended systems are utilized, many individuals are afraid to use such a system. Many people are not computer literate or worse, are computer phobic, unwilling to deal with a computer. Additionally, most people are reluctant to stand in front of a display screen in public to answer many personal and private questions. Further, while one individual is busy answering questions others are precluded from utilizing the system and may just walk away without using and perhaps benefitting from such a system. Finally, there is the consideration that current systems frequently do not provided the user with a written copy of the recommendations which would enable them to take the recommendations home to study and perhaps implement at a later date.